Woman charged with smuggling people from India into US
New York, Dec 6: A 42-year-old woman has been charged for her role in an international smuggling conspiracy under which individuals primarily from India were brought illegally to the US across the border from Canada. Stacey Taylor of Plattsburgh, New York, appeared for an arraignment this week after a federal grand jury in Albany returned an indictment in October charging her for her role in the smuggling conspiracy, according to an official statement on Friday. Court records show that US Border Patrol agents interdicted Taylor’s vehicle near Churubusco, New York, near the Quebec border in the early morning hours in January, and found four foreign nationals inside her vehicle. The four men – three Indian nationals and one Canadian national – had crossed the US-Canadian border illegally, without inspection. When law enforcement later examined Taylor’s cellphone, they observed text messages that indicated that she had been involved in multiple other smuggling ventures in the days prior. (PTI)
Indian student dies after suffering injuries in house fire in US
New York, Dec 6: A 24-year-old Indian student in the US has died after suffering severe injuries in a house fire, according to the Indian mission here. Sahaja Reddy Udumala was pursuing a Master’s degree in Albany, New York. The Consulate General of India in New York said in a post on X on Friday (local time) that it is “deeply saddened by the untimely demise” of Udumala, who lost her life in the house fire incident in Albany. The Albany Police Department said in a statement that its personnel and the Albany Fire Department responded to the house fire on the morning of December 4. When they arrived at the scene, officers and firefighters found the residence fully engulfed in flames and learned that several individuals were still inside the home. They were able to locate four adult victims inside the residence, who were treated on scene by emergency medical personnel before being transported to a hospital, where they are being treated for serious injuries. Two of the victims were later transferred to a medical burn centre for further treatment. “Tragically, the adult female victim succumbed to her injuries she sustained in the fire,” the police department said. (PTI)
Protesters held for smearing food on Crown Jewels case
London, Dec 6: Four protesters were arrested Saturday after splattering food on the case of a priceless diamond-encrusted crown at the Tower of London. The Crown Jewels display was closed after members of a group called Take Back Power smeared apple crumble and poured yellow custard – two staples on British dessert menus – on the display case containing the Imperial State Crown worn by King Charles III during his coronation in 2023 and during his speech to open Parliament in 2024. Video of the stunt at the Tower of London, once a royal palace also known as the prison where Anne Boleyn, Thomas More and others were executed, showed two protesters attacking the case as other visitors stepped back in shock. (AP)
